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USA-Canada

BCI has a long history of conservation in the US and Canada. We continue our successful programs which target protecting bat habitats, reducing threats to bat populations and educating the public. Our priorities include preventing extinctions, investing in practical, scientifically proven solutions to the imminent threats of white-nose syndrome (WNS) and wind turbine collisions, identifying and protecting important bat habitats, advocating for appropriate legal protections for bats, and building a bat conservation ethic through education and outreach.

The United States and Canada are home to 3% of the world’s bat species. While diversity is not as high here as in other regions, the 47 species found in the U.S. and Canada include one species listed as Critically Endangered and two as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. At least 5 other species are in sharp decline due to WNS. Other potentially severe threats to bats include, the loss of suitable cave, mine and mature tree roosts; shrinking water resources in the west; and a rapid expansion of wind power, which is estimated to kill more than 200,000 bats annually.

USA-Canada Bat Species Richness

We use a variety of approaches to conserve bats within this region, where we are based. In addition to conducting research and conservation activities using our own staff throughout the US and Canada, we rely heavily on collaboration with partner organizations to achieve conservation on a larger scale. Our WNS and wind energy collaborations have invested heavily in research to identify science-based solutions to some of the most critical threats to bats in this region. Armed with the results from years of research, we vigorously pursue implementation of our most promising tools to save bats from these threats. We continue to deploy field teams to assist partners with inventory and management of bat habitats both above and below ground, including caves, mines, forest habitats, and water resources.

BCI collaborates with public agencies and private landowners to provide lasting conservation at scale for this regions bats and their habitats. We engage at all levels to build capacity for others to advance bat conservation and provide resources and tools where we can to assist them in their efforts.

How You Can Help

Be a champion for bats! Whatever you do, wherever you go, help others understand the value of bats and how important it is to protect them.

Learn more about bats and use what you know to make decisions that advance bat conservation. There are a lot of ways to make a difference for bats through your choices as a consumer, by influencing your local or regional government or by volunteering.

Contribute to bat conservation, through your membership at BCI, through our wish list, or through a financial gift.